The Seventy-Second Annual Hunger Games
by ThunderStorm7916
Summary: Elia Nasset is chosen to compete in the 72nd Hunger Games. This is a story of love, survival, and death. T for violence and implications of intimacy.
1. Chapter 1- The Beginning

Chapter 1- The Beginning

"Elia Nasset." It was quieter than I remembered it. When I got picked, it seemed everything stood still for a lifetime. Of course it wasn't any different than anyone else. I hadn't been all that popular. Hell, none of us were. Not in nine. We all blended together. One big pack of harvesters and factory workers all dressed up, and most of us with nowhere to go. Except me. I had to go somewhere now. And I probably wouldn't be coming back.

The goodbyes were the worst. I always thought that it would be the walk. With all eyes on you, not just from your own district, but all of Panem watching together to see how much you can bleed before you die; how much you can make someone else bleed, it should be the worst. But the goodbyes. The private goodbyes that no one ever sees, that no one except those who will truly weep for you when you fall will know. That was the worst.

I knew of people who had two or three family members to send them off with their fondest words, for their only little girl or boy. My family was huge. In total, before the reaping eleven years ago, my family contained eleven children. Six of which were older than me, four younger. I can't say I wasn't loved. My parents made sure that each of us knew we were near and dear to their hearts. But I was seventeen, my name in the lottery too many times to count, as I took extras for my family. Just as it had been with Micah. Except he was only fifteen when he had been called.

I remember sitting and watching the interviews and other pre-game features, praying that Micah would come home to us. The countdown started and I held my breath until the games started. It was only about fifteen minutes in that desert wasteland that my brother lasted. He caught a spear in the back trying to run for cover. After that, we all knew our odds.

My mother and father desensitized themselves to us every year around the reaping, just in case one of us was chosen for the slaughter. So, when they came to say goodbye, with nine of my siblings, I could see the deadness in their eyes.

"Good luck," they said somberly, "Goodbye. We love you. Be safe. We'll be rooting for you." That was it. That was all my dear mother and father said before they slid to the back of the room to let my siblings come to me. The first were my little sisters and little brother.

"You have to come back, Elia," little Ted whined, "You said Micah never came back."

"It's ok. Everything will be fine," I lied.

"Please come back," said Delila "Yeah, come back" chimed Erina and Alita.  
>My older siblings knew that the chances of me coming back were slim, but even they gave their well-wishes and told me to be strong. I felt tears come to my eyes as I hugged each and every one of them quickly before I was whisked away.<p>

As soon as they were gone, I let loose every emotion I had inside me. Anger, sadness, fear, and regret made me curse and scream and cry. Then they came to put me on a train. The train that would take me away from all that I loved to a strange new world of death.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until I was on that train that I even thought about who would be the one accompanying me to the arena from district nine. Sitting in one of the cars completely tuning out the musings of my mentor about how to survive, I looked to the opening door just as Jona walked through. We locked eyes and they were filled with hate. I had never liked him even before it happened. Now I hated him.<p>

It was one particularly hot summer when it happened. We were both working in the fields gathering grains, my little sister Alita pretending that she was a princess. In a split second of stupidity, I picked a few blades of wheat and made them into a halo crown for her. Her smile was so big as she danced around. That was when he saw us.

Jona smirked and said, "Wonder how many lashes they'd give your little sister if they found out she was wearing good crops on her head."

"Take it off, Alita. Take it off, and give it to me," I insisted hurriedly.

"Hah, you think that'll get you off, Elia? If I tell a peacekeeper, it'd be my word against yours. And you know, with my father being of great importance in the factories, who do you think they'll believe?" Jona said pointedly.

"What the hell do you want, Jona?!" I shouted angrily, "You wouldn't benefit from telling anyone. Just leave it alone."

"Yeah, but I could benefit from not telling anyone. Just depends how much you love your little sister," he said.

"Alita, go find Delila. Work with her the rest of the day. Go now," I whispered to my sister urgently. She turned around and ran. It wasn't until I saw her disappear into the waves of un-harvested grains that I turned around to face Jona. "What do you want, Jona?"

"You," he stated hungrily. It was at that moment that I knew I was in for it. Jona had a reputation, but as the son of a powerful person, he always got away with it.

My eyes widened and I turned to run. I got about two feet before he tackled me. I struggled but it wasn't enough. Soon he had me on my back, I punched him in the nose and in return he grabbed my hair and slammed my head into the ground until I could only whimper a faint "No, no, please, no."

I remember seeing his silhouette towering above me, the sun shining so brightly behind him. I closed my eyes and out spilled so many tears. He took my lips in a hard, forceful kiss. I hated it, but he didn't stop there. When he was finished with me he stood up and said, "I won't tell anyone, if you don't."

With the last bit of strength I had, I cried out, "I'll kill you for this someday! I promise!" He just laughed and walked away.

As I sat across the table from him on the train, I smiled. "I keep my promises," I said. I stood up and walked back to my room.

* * *

><p>When we arrived at the Capitol, first they bathed and waxed, then they had a stylist come in. The woman was tall and amazingly thin with her blue hair done up to look like a tornado. She whispered little things to her assistants and looked me over. Pursing her lips she studied me. She took my measurements and walked out of the room, leaving me naked and confused. I don't know how long it was, but when she came back she carried with her what looked like two huge blades of wheat one pointing up and the other pointing down. Her assistants quickly helped me into this gold dress.<p>

After half an hour of doing my makeup and another hour for my hair, I was allowed to look at myself in a mirror. I gasped at the sight. They had painted my skin gold and done my dark hair up into points like wheat and wrapped gold foil around the spikes. Around my eyes was a dark brown powder that made the green in my eyes stand out.

Soon we were all loaded into carriages and paraded in front of thousands. I played my part and waved and smiled like I knew I should. All of the Capitol was cheering for their favorites and despite being stuck next to Jona, I allowed myself to lose myself in the roar of the crowd.

Later that evening, after all the paint was washed off and I was in regular clothes, I sat down with my mentor and seriously discussed strategies for survival. I wouldn't be like Micah. I would do what I could to win, even if it was a lost cause.


	2. Chapter 2- The Weapon

Chapter 2- The Weapon

The next day training began. I walked into the room filled with weapons and tributes, I wondered what I was going to do. I had no idea how to use any of these things. For the first part of the day I went from station to station learning how to identify poisonous plants and tie different kinds of knots.

After a bit, I had an idea. I took one of the curved swords off its stand and put it down near some rope. Then I took one of the spears and sat down with the two weapons and rope. Some of the other tributes were watching curiously, namely the boy from three, the girl and boy from five, and the boy from seven, but I paid them no mind. It took almost half an hour and five tries but I finally managed to make a crude looking scythe. This I could use. I smiled and took my work in both hands and stood in the middle of a cluster of dummies. I swung the scythe to my left flipped it in my hands and brought it down on my right. In three seconds I had chopped off the heads of two dummies, cut one straight down the middle, and stabbed another three right in their chests.

When I was finished with the dummies, I looked to the other tributes, most of whom were staring at the "dead" dummies, and smiled. I threw my make-shift scythe down and cooly walked to the camouflage station. Maybe I really did have a chance at this.

The next day I walked in ready to grab another sword and spear, but found something in their place. On the shelf was one long scythe. I looked up to the viewing area and saw some of them smiling. I held the scythe, trying to get used to the weight as it was a lot stronger than the ones we used at home for harvesting. I practiced swinging it this way and that, twirling with it until it was an extension of my arm.

Training went well for the rest of the time. I would train for some time with the scythe, then I would go to the different stations. On the last day I decided to study the others. I watched some wield weapons like they were born to do it. Others had a harder time. I surmised that the best of the bunch were Aris, the boy from one; Zarietta and Trane, the boy and girl from two; Sawyer, the boy from four; Kara, the girl from five; and Rory, the boy from seven. I made a mental note to either kill them first or keep them as allies.

* * *

><p>When the time came for them to evaluate and score us, I knew now was the time to make an impression. When it was my turn, I walked in and immediately picked up the scythe. I twirled it a few times in my hand then looked up to them. I got the dummies ready and took a breath.<p>

"Elia Nasset. District Nine," I said.

I closed my eyes and made my first swing. I felt contact and swung again. It went on in this fashion, almost like a choreographed dance, until I had destroyed all of the dummies. When I was done I was breathing hard. I set the scythe back on its shelf, and walked out.

Later I watched as the scores came up for each tribute. I made sure to note the ones I had seen as threats. Aris had an eight, Zarietta had a six, Trane had an eight point five, Sawyer had a nine, Kara had a seven, Rory had a ten, Jona had a seven, and I had a nine.

I was ready for the interview. I wore a short skirted green dress that matched my eyes. Caesar made some jokes, I laughed, he asked me what my plan for the arena was, I told him I was ready but he'd have to wait and see. Altogether, it was a good interview and I knew that I would most likely have a few sponsors, which was more than I thought I'd ever get.

It was the night before the games and I couldn't sleep. I walked out to get a drink when I saw Jona sitting and crying as he looked out the window. I walked up behind him.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you," he said quietly when I was close to him.

"I don't think you are," I said, "I'll still kill you. What you did-"

"I am sorry. I know what I did was terrible. I know I deserve to die. But," he paused, "But have you ever wondered if... Never mind. You'll kill me tomorrow and everything will be right."

"Nothing will ever be right. For any of us. I'll kill you because of what you did, but then someone else will kill me for what I did to you. It'll never be right," I said bitterly.

"You might win. That'd be justice served, wouldn't it? Either way I'm going to hell," he smirked like his old self, "I guess it's just a matter of whether you're coming with me."

"I could kill you a thousand times, in the most gruesome ways, and I think all the gods in all the heavens would still forgive me," I spat, "But you've been damned since the day you decided to become a monster. It's late. We have a big day tomorrow. And no matter what, I promise, you will die soon."

I turned around and marched back to my room.


	3. Chapter 3- The Arena

Chapter 3- The Arena

The outfits made for us for the arena were easy to move in black pants, a light brown tank top, light-weight brown boots with treads on the bottom for traction and a light hoodie a different color for each district. One was silver. Two was a red-brown. Three was dark grey. Four was light blue. Five was bright yellow. Six was white. Seven was forest green. Eight was a light-violet. Nine was gold. Ten was dark brown. Eleven was orange. Twelve was black.

As soon as we were all at the arena we got into tubes and watched as a world of ruined buildings rose up to meet us. In the few seconds before the countdown started, I looked around to find the other tributes and hopefully a scythe. The cornucopia was made out of a pile of rubble with weapons strewn out in the mouth. I knew that I wasn't the fasted runner, but I saw only one scythe. It was my only chance, and I was fairly obstacle free to get to it. It was golden and shaped just like the one in the training.

The countdown started and I got ready to run. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, Boom! one. Everything was a blur. Everyone looked at the source of the blast to see a gathering of red mist instead of a tribute on top of a pedestal. It was a distraction that I used to my advantage. The tributes closest to the blast were frozen in shock. I ran straight for the cornucopia. Others had the same idea and the distraction was not permanent. Just as I was nearing the mouth I felt something wiz past my left ear.

I got down behind one of the crates of supplies and peeked around the edge to find my attacker. It was a girl. She had two small throwing knives. I saw a boy come up from behind her and grab her neck. She took both knives in one hand and plunged them into the side of the boy's head. He dropper her instantly and she landed with a thud. In the short time it took for her to recover and grab her knives I was able to snag my scythe and swing it at her, cutting her in half.  
>I turned to run and found Aris with a sword lunging at me. I was able to dodge to the right in time that it only nicked my shoulder. I used my scythe to knock the boy onto his back and continued running.<p>

I was through a half-standing archway and a long corridor when I heard a slight splashing over the screams in the distance. By this time I knew that I had left any tributes following me in the dust. I snuck around a corner of a building to find a small boy probably from eleven or twelve squatting by the edge of a crumbling but working fountain, filling up a canteen.

I picked up a small rock and threw it across the courtyard. The boy stood up to look at the noise and I came from behind with my blade to slit his throat. I quickly tasted the water in the fountain, and deciding it was drinkable, filled up the rest of the canteen. The boy had had a pack of supplies which I took and threw over my shoulder before leaving the courtyard. It was maybe two minutes later that the first cannon sounded, marking the end of the first bloodbath. There were eight booms. That meant sixteen left.

* * *

><p>There was what looked like a small house fallen to bits next to a long row of connected two story buildings most missing three quarters of their second floor walls and roofs. I used the rubble of the house to make a climbing platform up to the roof of the buildings next to it. After falling down a few times I managed to scramble up onto the roof. I looked in the directions all around me, but my view was mostly obscured by higher buildings. Looking to my left I had a clear view of one building crumble in the distance and heard the boom of the cannon. Fifteen.<p>

It was getting dark by the time I had sifted through the supplies. In the backpack there was the canteen—that I had filled with the water from the fountain, a roll of bread, and a light blanket. As the sun faded, the heat disappeared with it. I decided to sleep on the roof in the middle where no one could see me, but I could hear if someone came. I ate a half of the bread, saving the rest. I used the backpack as a pillow and covered myself with the blanket. It was still cold, but I knew I could last the night.

Just then I heard a distant scream. I sat up straight and listened for more sounds but all I heard were two booms of the cannon. Thirteen.

I fell asleep a little while after that. I don't know how long I slept but I awoke to the sound of the Capitol's anthem. The images of the dead tributes flashed in the sky: Juliette Farnis (female District 1), Zarietta Alman (female District 2), Serrah Gernen (female District 3), Yvana Resi (female District 6), River Zallis (male District 6), Eucalyptus Atria (female District 7), Lysa Menna (female District 8), Dune Ree (male District 10), Reina Uvara (female District 11), Ellabeth Slater (female District 12), Hano Wei (male District 12)


	4. Chapter 4- The Boy

Chapter 4- The Boy

The next morning, I awoke to the hot sun. I shrugged off my blanket and coat putting both into my back pack. I ate the other half of the bread and had a sip of the water. I knew I would need to get more food and water soon. I got down off the roof, and traveled opposite of the sounds I heard last night. I was making good progress, coming to the outreaches of the ruined city. The rubble became scarce and the dirt ground spread out to reveal a shallow lake. There I could clean my wound that in the heat of yesterday's fight had been forgotten. In the rippling water I saw some slight movement. Fish!

In my hurry to get into the cool water and catch some food, I didn't notice the boy from seven heading towards me until I saw the reflection of his axe in the water. I jumped out of the way at the very last second making a big splash as I fell into the lake. I threw my pack to the shore, swung my scythe and met his axe. He had splashes of dried blood on the lower part of his face and neck. His grey eyes seemed dead in their sockets. His curly blonde hair stuck to his cheeks and his hands shook as they held the axe that was tangled with my scythe. Neither of us could get our weapons to move.

I let go of my grip on scythe. I knew this would give him the chance to unhook his axe from my blade, but in the second that I let go, I saw a flash in his eyes that said "I don't want to kill you." Maybe I was insane, but I was right. He dropped his axe next to the scythe. We stood for a moment, just looking at each other. Neither of us knew exactly what to do.

Behind him came another tribute. She carried three spears with blood on the ends of each. She threw one at us and I jumped down, using my arm to take him with me. We hit the rocky bottom of the inch-deep shallows hard. It looked like it knocked the wind out of the boy from seven. Quickly I rolled to the left and grabbed my scythe. Jumping to my feet, I ran towards the girl. She threw a second spear that nicked my side. She was ready to throw her third spear at the boy from seven when I shoved the blade into her stomach. I pulled it out and she collapsed to the ground, already dead. The cannon sounded and I felt my side. It was deeper than I originally thought. I dropped the scythe and saw the ground rise up before I fainted due to blood loss.

* * *

><p>When I started to wake up I felt a painful burning on my side. I opened my eyes and screamed. Instinctively I tried to flinch away from the pain but something was holding me to it. I could faintly hear someone telling me it was almost done. It was then I noticed I wasn't outside anymore. I was inside a building. Light was shining in through a small window of pushed out bricks and there was a roof intact over my head. I felt myself slipping out of consciousness once again and used my remaining strength to look at the person who had just wrapped my wound.<br>"Boy from seven," I stated weakly.  
>He smiled and said, "Rory. My name is Rory."<br>"Elia," I said and fainted.

* * *

><p>The next time I regained consciousness, it was dark. I could feel that I was covered. The Capitol's theme was playing and from the small hole in the wall I saw the names of the fallen: Delphi Worrel (female District 4), Leeanne Young (female District 10), Pari Triston (male District 11)<p>

I sat up and a jacket fell away from my shoulders. Noticing that my legs were covered to I looked at the second jacket and realized that it was Rory's. I turned my head this way and that trying to locate him. I saw some movement in the corner of the room and realized it was Rory sleeping huddled in a ball to stay warm. I saw my pack next to me and I looked through it for my blanket. When I couldn't find it I tried to stand up to look for it, but was stopped by a sudden jolt of pain. I lifted my tank top to see that my side was wrapped with the blanket.

I must have made noise rifling through the bag, because Rory tiredly lifted his head and said, "Don't do more than sit for now or you'll reopen your wound."

"Reopen?" I repeated, "What'd you use?"

"I used one of my matches to heat up the blunt edge of your blade and cauterize it," he said.

"Oh. No wonder it hurt," I paused, "Why?" I asked, "Why not let me just bleed out?"

"You could've let that spear skewer me, but you didn't," he said.

"Thank you, boy from seven," I whispered.

"Just repaying a debt, girl from nine," he laughed.

I looked down at my wrapped wound and sighed. I looked back up at him and frowned. "Now that you've repaid me, are we fair game for each other again?" I asked, "If I heal and we go our separate ways and we meet up again, by accident, will you try to kill me, Rory?"

For a minute he was quiet. Then he glanced up out the window to the night sky. "No," he said seriously, "I don't think I could kill you, Elia. Not even if you were the last tribute and killing you meant victory."

I smiled. "I don't think I could either. There's… something about you that I like," I said, "So, allies?"

"Friends," he said.

I smiled again. "Come here," I said, "We'll both be warmer if we are closer together."

"Okay," he said and got up. He started to walk across the room when he stopped and walked to the window. He stuck his arm out just in time for him to catch a parachute. He came to sit next to me and opened it up. Inside was a small jar of medicine. I have to admit I was a little bit afraid that I was so willing to have him so close to me, but it felt right. It felt so different than being close to any other boy. After putting some medicine on my wounds, we covered ourselves with the our jackets and fell asleep next to each other.

Again, I'm not sure how long we slept, but I woke up to the sound of a cannon. It was still dark. I looked to Rory and he was just as alert as I was. In a moment of awkwardness, we realized that as we slept we had huddled much closer together for warmth. We both rolled away from the other and put on our jackets.

"I should check your side," he said, breaking the silence. I only nodded. He lifted up my shirt to reveal the blanket wrapping on my side. When my skin was exposed to the cold air I made a quiet hiss before getting goosebumps. The gash that had been cauterized was now a pink color, healed, at least on the outside.

"It looks a lot better," I said, "It's all closed up. We should probably be on the move. We don't know how far away that last killing was."  
>Rory nodded as he stood and helped me up. When I was on my feet he bent over to pick up our weapons. He handed me the scythe and took his axe in his left hand.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5- The Haven

Chapter 5- The Haven

It took us until the sun came up to get back to the heart of the ruined city. We reached the edge of the courtyard that held the cornucopia. Inside, it looked like there were more supplies and no tributes in sight. Rory silently motioned for me to hide around the corner. He picked up a loose brick and threw it at an adjacent wall. When no one appeared to take action, we both ran to the mouth and grabbed a few packed items.

We ran down the length of a corridor that lead to the row of rooftops I had spent the first night on. I found the house I had used as a climbing platform and said, "We can climb onto the rooftop. We'll be safe there. No one can see us but we can hear them."

"Alright. I'll climb up first," he said, "then I'll help you up."

"Be careful," I warned. He turned to smile at me, then quickly scrambled up to the roof. Laying on his stomach, he reached down to me. I grabbed his arm and as he pulled, I took another step higher, until finally I was on the roof beside him.

"What did we get?" I asked eagerly. He opened up one pack, I took the other.

"Matches, rope, cold soup," he listed.

"Apples, a canteen, and a blanket," I continued. Rory got up and climbed down off the roof. "What're you doing?" I asked.

"There are some twigs down here. We can use these to start a fire, heat up the soup," he said. Just then a hovercraft flew overhead.

"I didn't hear the cannon," I shouted down over the noise, "Did you?" Rory shook his head and looked at me confused. I turned to look at the hovercraft now a little in the distance. It slowly turned around and just as it was facing us, it dropped something. It took a few seconds to fall, but when it hit the ground, it blew. The sheer force threw me and our supplies off the roof and into a nearby wall. I couldn't breathe after I hit the wall but I still tried to call out to Rory.

He came rushing over and gathered up all of our stuff into one pack. Throwing it over his shoulder and grabbing our weapons he quickly looked me over once and helped me up. I was getting to my feet when we heard another explosion, this one closer. The ground shook and we ran to the side out of the path of destruction. The cannon that sounded was so much quieter than the blasts had been. We were almost through an arch out of the area with the row of buildings when a third blast came and blew the row of buildings to pieces.

A cluster of bricks was flying towards us. I hooked Rory with my arm and managed to pull us down in time and bricks hit the wall beside us, covering us in the dust of rubble. I winced as I got up on my feet, ignoring my scraped knee. When Rory was up too we started running again. We ran through countless courtyards but the blasts kept coming closer. There were seven explosions in total and by the last one we had made it to the other side of the arena.

* * *

><p>In this area there were dozens of buildings all reduced to their foundations. In the distance, a cannon sounded. There were two buildings on opposite sides of a half-torn down wall that stood largely intact. Out from behind the wall came a tribute. I recognized him as Aris. He had a sword in his hand and a snarl on his face. Before he could see us, Rory ushered me into the closer building. I heard Aris shout something and thinking that he had seen us I peered around the corner. It was then that I saw a second tribute, with a much smaller sword, jet out of the rubble of one of the buildings. He ran through the way Rory and I had come in. Aris was close behind. It wasn't long before Aris caught up with the smaller boy. They parried for a bit before the smaller boy kicked up dirt and sprinted away. Aris cursed and ran after him.<p>

Rory tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped. He smiled. "Look at what I found," he said excitedly. He used used his boot to stomp lightly on a part of the floor. It made a hollow sound. He bent down and wiped away the dirt to reveal a trap door. Opening it up he jumped down and I followed. Underground was a row of shelves full of jars of what looked like canned fruits. The room was about four feet wide and seven feet long. There was a small hearth at the other end of the room next to a door. I realized that there were no stairs near the trap door so the only way out would be through the door.

"Jackpot," I said. I walked over to the door and opened it. It was too dark to see anything, the only light coming from the trap door. Rory took a torch off the wall and lit it using a match. After lighting the rest, he handed it to me and I used it to light up past the door. I could see a little ways down a hall. On the left hand side was a troff of oil that extended past the light of the torch. I decided to wait to light that until we needed it and closed the door.

Rory lit a fire in the hearth and took two jars off their shelves. He tossed one to me and we sat down to eat. For the first time since we entered the arena, I felt relaxed and safe. I unscrewed the cap and sniffed the contents. It smelled nice and refreshing. I raised my jar as if to toast and Rory did the same. In the next three minutes we had devoured two jars each and were sitting, backs against a wall relaxing and talking.


	6. Chapter 6- The Dream

Chapter 6- The Dream

We were talking for hours. We talked of childhood. We talked about the differences of our districts. Telling stories of the people we'd left behind and all those who left us behind we really became friends. After a while we told stories of embarrassment.

"I didn't know which way the tree would fall so I ran straight up to it and got into a ball at the roots so no matter what it wouldn't fall on me," Rory said laughing, "That was the first time I chopped down a tree."

"That's nothing. The first time I went out to the fields I used this huge scythe to cut the crop and ended up whacking my brother in the chest with the handle because it was way too long for me," I countered.

"You're right," he said smiling, "That is worse." I laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. Chuckling he punched me back. I was about to do the same when he caught my fist. For a moment we sat there, his hand enveloping mine, staring at each other. It was silent. The laughter gone, I smiled lightly at him. I'm not sure if it was me or him who leaned in first, maybe it was both, but we met in the middle, his lips on mine. This kiss was nothing like Jona's, this kiss was soft, timid. I closed my eyes.

In that moment I thought of everything I had never thought of. Was this love? I thought of when I asked my mother how I would know if I was in love. She had said that it felt like the world was perfect and that I would feel like I would never want to be with anyone else. Rory. I would never want anyone but Rory. Someday, we'd be married. We'd have kids, a son, a daughter, maybe both. He would never hurt me, and I would always love him. I pulled away and put my forehead to his.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you," he whispered back. We kissed again.

The Capitol's theme began playing. Instantly, I remembered where we were, who we were, and everything that entailed. I pulled away quickly this time, getting to my feet and walking to look out the open trap door up at the sky. I read the names: Otus Tallo (male District 3), Kara Pommer (female District 5)

I looked at the ground. I knew Rory was behind me. God, everything was happening wrong. Rory took my hand and squeezed it. I turned around to look at him. He had a grim look on his face. He looked as sad as I felt. We hugged each other like if we let go we would fall one hundred feet. Before letting go, we kissed. It was a sad kiss. Desperate to hold together, to be anywhere else, to become one.

When we finally parted, we sat down again in the spot where minutes ago we had professed our love. "Realistically thinking, soon one or both of us will be dead," I said somberly, "And even if we lived past all this, we're from different districts. We'll never have time to be together."

"That's true. All of it. And no matter what, I will love you until I'm dead, and then I'll love you from wherever I go after I die," Rory said, "And we do have now." He kissed me softly and wiped a tear away. For what seemed like days, he just held me in his arms while I cried. When all my tears had fallen I looked him in the eyes.

"You're right," I said, "We do have now." I kissed him and slowly lied down pulling him down on top of me.

When he realized what I meant he looked me in the eyes. "Are you sure?" He asked.

I sighed and said, "I love you. And it's now or never. I want to be with you as long as I can. And we have now." He kissed me and we were together. We were one, at least for now.

* * *

><p>It had almost become a routine, fall asleep and wake up later to the sound of a cannon. In our little haven, we had fallen asleep in each other's arms. When we awoke, all the torches had gone out, as well as the hearth fire. It was surprisingly warm still, so when we got out from underneath our blanket and got dressed we left our jackets off. There was a little light coming from the trap door, letting us know it was morning. It was almost like we weren't surrounded by killing. This home underground had become our safety.<p>

Relaxing as we had the day before, we were able to sit down together and have breakfast made of jars of fruits. It was a dream. The whole day we spent underground sharing our love and telling stories of our childhood memories. We kissed and laughed and ate fruit in abundance. It was perfect. When it got dark we lit another fire in the hearth and watched as it died out. It was only embers when the Capitol's theme started playing and we watched the sky for the names. There was only one that night: Tomas Carvette (male District 8)

Again, we slept in each other's arms. It was a loving night and we made the most of it. That night I dreamt of us. We were sitting in the fields back home, lost amongst the wheat. We were older, maybe thirty. Around us, the waves of grain blew in the wind and swirled until their colors changed and a few stalks became faces. It was children that appeared. One little girl sprung out of the folds and jumped into Rory's lap. Laughing he cooed at her and she called him daddy.

I smiled at the image of a perfect life but it didn't last. Soon the faces of the children changed, melting away to reveal tributes. All the dead disappeared and in the distance I could hear a boy's voice saying something excitedly. I could hear him running towards us when Rory shook me awake. I looked out the trap door to see a tribute coming at us in the distance, but close enough to see light coming through the trap door.

"He's coming to us! He'll be down here with us in minutes!" I shouted.

"We'll have to use the tunnel. Quick! We don't have much time." Rory replied. He picked up one of the packs and our weapons. He opened the door to the tunnel and lighting the troff he beckoned for me to follow him. I knew the tribute would follow us, so I grabbed a few more jars of fruit and knocked the rest onto the floor.

I turned to go when I noticed the now bare wooden shelves. Suddenly I had and idea.

"Gimme the axe," I said. Rory looked confused but handed it to me anyway. I swung hard, breaking the shelves and dismantling them from their place on the wall. I picked up the bag I had stuffed with jars and threw it over my back. Finding my jacket, I wrapped it around one of the torches. I dipped it in the oil troff and it came ablaze. Handing the axe back to Rory, I set chopped shelves on the floor by the door.

I only had to wait a second before the tribute I now recognized as Trane jumped through the trap door. He started to walk towards us when I threw the torch down on the wood. It caught fire quickly and as we shut the door behind us, I almost felt bad for the boy, knowing he would have no escape. We were about halfway to what looked like a step ladder, when the screaming stopped and we heard a were six of us left.


	7. Chapter 7- The Reality

Chapter 7- The Reality

When we crawled out through the other end's trap door it was mid afternoon. We were close to the edge of the ruined city, by the lake. Once we were above ground again, all the magic slipped away to cold hard reality. We went down by the lake, filled our canteens, then jumped into the shallow water. We were able to sit on the bottom with our heads above water to cool off.

The sun started sinking again and we got out and lay on the shore, getting dry in the fading heat. Rory turned his head to face mine and kissed me. We sat there for a while and only when the sun went down did we move away from the lake to find shelter. The Capitol's theme played loudly in the sky. We stopped to look at the fallen: Trane Dester (male District 2)

Moving through the ruins hand in hand, we came to a place that had been demolished by one of the bombs. We were making our way through the rubble when it happened.

Out from behind one of the bigger piles popped Jona. He had a short blade in his hand that he plunged deep into the center of Rory's chest. I swung my scythe at Jona's head before I knew what was happening. Leaving the blade, he ran away out of my reach. I was about to follow him, but I felt Rory's hand fall from mine.

"Elia," he said. I turned to kneel next to him. Blood was surrounding him so quickly. I put my hands around the blade, trying to keep the pressure on it without removing the blade.

"Elia," he whispered. More blood came out as he coughed.

"No, no, no," I said, "don't talk. Don't move. You'll be fine. Please. Please."

"Elia," he started again, "I'm glad it wasn't you." I could feel tears on my cheeks coming in a fast stream. He wiped one away with a bloody hand as one fell from his own eye.

"You have to stay alive," I told him, "I won't allow you to die."

"I don't think it's up for discussion," he replied.

"No! You have to fight it. You," I said, "Rory, I don't want to live without you."

"You're gonna have to, Ah!" He hissed at the pain.

"Rory. I need you, I love you," I insisted.

"And I'll love you from wherever I am. And I'll wait for you. I'll wait forever," he said weakly, "Promise to try to stay alive, for me."

"Fine. But this is the Hunger Games," I said, "And if you wait for me..."

He nodded, "I will. I love y-" He was gone before he could finish the sentence. The cannon boomed. I screamed loud and long.

"Rory!" I cried. I closed his eyes, removed the blade, and kissed him for one last time. I took his jacket from around his waist and set his axe down beside him. I took the blade and put it in my pack. Scythe in hand I made my way to the edge of the lake.

I sat where we sat, hugging my knees to my breast. I looked out at the water and started to cry. It wasn't fair. Rory was good, kind, and loving. He should never have been chosen. He wouldn't have met me, but at least he would've been safe. I sat there for a long time before I let myself fall asleep. I dreamt of him. I dreamt of his kiss, his eyes, and his blood. I must have watched him die a dozen times in my dreams, but I could never save him.


	8. Chapter 8- The Fallout

Chapter 8- The Fallout

When I opened my eyes it was light. I heard nothing. I felt nothing. I wasn't hungry, but I knew I should eat. I unpacked a jar of fruit to eat. When I had finished, I started to cry again. In a fit of anger I threw the empty jar into the lake. I screamed in frustration. I had promised to try to live, but how could I when I had nothing left to fight for? My family wasn't expecting my to come home, and I had lost my drive.

I sat by the lake's edge for hours. At times I crawled forward to refill my canteen. It was early afternoon when I finally got up. I walked back to where I had left Rory, seeing only dried blood on the ground. I remembered Jona running away. I followed his direction until I reached a courtyard. It had walls on all sides and only two entrances. In the middle was a day old campfire. Jona. I would kill him. I sat by the campfire for the rest of the afternoon. When it was dark, I made sure to light it bright, hoping to attract Jona so I could kill him.

After the fire had burnt out and no one had come, I decided to move on. He must have gone further. Either way, I'd catch him. I was standing up to walk away when the Capitol theme played. This time, I looked down, knowing what I would see: Rory Havern (male District 7)

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><p>I walked for the rest of the night until somehow I made it back to the cornucopia. Almost all of the packs were taken leaving the mouth deserted. Dawn approached, but I was tired. I made my way up into the other end of the inside, ate some fruit and fell asleep where no one could see me.<p>

I slept through the hot day, only getting up when I needed to eat. The longer I slept, the worse the dreams became. After some time all I would see was Rory's bloody body in my hands, his eyes open and dead, tears of blood creating red streaks on his face. I would go to close his eyes and he would disappear into dust in my arms. I'd cry kneeling in this pool of blood that had once made up my beloved Rory. Slowly the ripples would change from red to clear and I would see my face in the reflection. Except it wasn't my face, it was everyone's. All the tributes features morphed into mine, and I would scream in fear, unable to look away.

It had gotten dark when I awoke, sweaty and panicked. Having my last jar of fruit, I started crying again. Looking to the stars I whispered, "I'm scared. You're gone, but you won't leave me. Please, if I have any chance of survival, I have to let you go. At least for now."

I stayed awake through the night, knowing that if I slept I would dream and if I dreamt... When it got cold I covered myself with his jacket. I finished up what little water I had. I lit a fire for extra warmth, but let it burn out when the sun started to rise. No tributes had fallen in a day, and I knew the Capitol would want more action soon. When it was fully light, I let myself sleep an hour or two in the light of the sun to keep the nightmares at bay.


	9. Chapter 9- The Promise

Chapter 9- The Promise

I think it was about noon when I heard footsteps coming towards the mouth. I hid myself further in the cornucopia. Prepping for attack I waited until the tribute was about to grab a bag of supplies. I brought my scythe up and swung down on the startled boy. With fear in his face, I hardly recognized Aris. He had no fight left and I had killed him with one blow. The cannon sounded as I pulled the scythe from his shoulder.

Quickly I looked through what he had and dragged him to the center of the cornucopia courtyard. A hovercraft came to pick up his body and I knew I needed to get out of there. First I gathered a fairly large pile of stones, rocks, and empty jars. I emptied out all the packs putting everything I could carry into one bag and only a few necessary supplies in my own pack. I filled all the rest of the empty packs of supplies with things from the pile, and placed them back where they had been.

I took the one big pack and my smaller one, and made my way out of the cornucopia to the building with the trap door. I passed by the fountain and filled up every canteen I had. It was getting dark when I started my journey, and I was a few yards from the building when I heard the Capitol's theme. I looked up at the sky to see the dead; Aris Cordon (male District 1)

When I got to the trap door, I felt sick. On the sides near the open doors were scratch marks, where Trane had tried to claw his way out. The rest of the inside was covered in scorch marks from the flames. I dumped everything from the big bag down into the room. I then took some heavy bricks from the rubble and put them in the empty bag. Using the rope I had in my pack, I tied the bag to the door handles on the inside of the trap door. It was too heavy for me to lift, so instead I kicked the bag of bricks into the whole, watching the doors close for good. For the rest of the night I slept by the trap door, wrapped in Rory's jacket. That night, I didn't dream.

* * *

><p>Morning came sooner than I thought it would, but even so, I felt rested. I was on my way after a can of tuna and a canteen. I made my way along the edge of the ruined city seeing places I hadn't before. Noon came and I was ready for another meal when I was in the distance, a shimmer on top of a building. I figured it was probably a discarded weapon, but that meant there was someone who had left it.<p>

I ran through a tunnel before I saw a lonely cylindrical tall building in front of me. Inside the building there was a winding staircase up to the top. Most of the roof was gone, as was the upper level. Just inside the doorway was a small pack and a jacket. The jacket was golden like mine had been. I left my pack next to the other. Donning Rory's green jacket and putting the knife that had killed him in one hand, scythe in the other, I started to sneak up the stairs.

I reached the top in silence and found a sleeping Jona laying in the sun like a cat. Next to the edge was a brightly shining short sword. I readied the knife in my hand, kicked the short sword off the edge, and shouted, "Hey, Jona!" His eyes shot open and before he could do anything else I plunged the knife into his leg.

As he was screaming, I leaned in, weight on the knife, and whispered, "That was for Rory." I let go of the knife and as he pulled it out, I lifted my scythe.  
>"This is for me!" I shouted as I swung the blade, slicing off his head. The cannon boomed.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10- The End

**A/N: Yay reviews! Just to let anyone reading to know I had this entire story written before I started posting. Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

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><p>Chapter 10- The End<p>

I tossed Jona's head and body off the top of the tower before walking back down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I went through Jona's pack. It only had an apple and a bowl of soup. I ate the apple, drank a canteen, and slept in the shadows until nightfall. I heard someone run by and stop. I looked around the corner to see a boy sit down against a wall. He had a pack in his hand and when he opened it, he cursed. He pulled out brick after brick and a jar full of pebbles. I stifled a laugh and smiled at my trick.

Creeping back behind the wall, I sat and waited for him to leave. It took a while, but he eventually made his way in the direction of the cornucopia. The Capitol theme played and I saw a name I could smile at; Jona Hedge (male District 9)

I waited a while after the boy had left to do anything, but once I was sure he was long gone, I lit a fire using Jona's jacket as kindling. When I was warm, I fell asleep peacefully. I awoke in the morning to a rumbling. An earthquake seemed to pass in this building bringing it down. I grabbed the packs and my scythe and rolled out of the tower.

When I was safely away from the falling tower, I noticed other high buildings at the edge of the arena crumble as well. They were driving us towards the center. It was time for the finale. That day I made it back to the remains of where I had slept the first day. There were no names that night and I huddled up with my pack. I was out in the open and it was cold. It took me a while to fall asleep.

I had one dream that night. Rory was standing in the fields at home. I could see his mouth moving, but I couldn't make out his words. I ran closer to him. I was almost there when I came upon a canyon. It was just big enough to keep us apart, but I could hear him now. "I'll wait for you forever," he said. He kept saying it. He said it until I woke up the next day.

* * *

><p>I walked slowly back to the cornucopia. I was halfway there when I saw a building with a roof. Once inside I lit a small fire. I warmed up the soup from Jona's pack and downed it all. I sat there in silence for a bit. In my mind I imagined going home. I would be crowned the victor, they'd send me home on a train, I'd live in the victor's village, everyone would love me, but I still wouldn't be happy.<p>

It wasn't that I needed a man to make me happy. It would be hard, but I would make it even if I didn't have Rory. But the things I had seen, the things I had done the last ten days would haunt me forever. All the bread I would have wouldn't be enough to forget the blood. All the fame wouldn't be enough to forget the faces. Even if I went home, so many parts of me would be trapped here in this ruined city forever. I would never be whole again. I knew I had promised Rory to try to live, but in that moment, I wished for death.

* * *

><p>It was almost noon when I started to move again. I made it through a few tunnels as I circled the area I knew housed the cornucopia. I passed the fountain twice before I saw another tribute. He was covered from head to toe with dust and dirt and almost blended in with the buildings.<p>

We made eye contact. I ran at him with my scythe. He was quicker. He threw a small knife as if it were a dart. It hit my arm and I dropped the scythe. He threw another. This knife hit my knee. I fell down, all my weight on one knee, my right arm at my side and left leg behind me hanging uselessly. I looked up at the boy in time to see a third knife fly towards me.

The last hit me perfectly in the heart. Every muscle in my body went limp and I fell onto my back. I was breathing hard and fast but everything seemed to slow down. I felt warm on the outside, and cold on the inside. The boy rushed over to grab his knives. I recognized him as Sawyer. He took the first out of my arm as I lay still. There was a little pain then numbness. He took the second out of my leg and I said, "Thank you."

My death had been a sure thing since the reaping. I never could've won. But as I saw the clouds fading away, I felt frightened. A tear escaped my eye. With the last bit of strength I had I whispered one last thing to the sky, "Don't have to wait much longer, Rory." I wasn't sure if I had said it aloud but it didn't matter. Everything went black and the last thing I heard was the blast of a cannon.

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><p><strong>AN: There will be two epilogue chapters following this one.**


	11. Epilogue Part I

**A/N: This has nothing to do with Elia. Just the outcome of the games. Feel free to read or skip this as you please.**

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><p>Epilogue Part I<p>

Sawyer McCete was a little confused when the girl he had just killed said thank you. He quickly took the last knife out of her chest and ran back to the cornucopia courtyard. He looked around, knife in hand ready to throw, and not seeing anyone he ran into the mouth of the cornucopia. He set down his knives as it got closer to night and made a small fire for warmth. He couldn't find anything to eat in any of the remaining packs, as they were all filled with rocks and bricks. He put the fire out when he heard the Capitol's theme. He looked to the sky and was greeted with a familiar face; Elia Nasset (female District 9)

After that, he lay down and slept until it was light.

* * *

><p>Wayne Vire had made his way to the cornucopia when he heard the cannon boom. He stopped in his tracks. There were only two left. And he was one of them. When he didn't see anyone in the courtyard with the cornucopia he made his way in a circle around the area until he came upon a spot of fresh blood. He looked around and seeing a building close by, he slipped in and lay down without any food or supplies for warmth. He watched the sky as they showed the girl from nine and finally slipped into sleep.<p>

When it was dawn, Wayne awoke. He made his way back to the cornucopia by instinct. He was greeted with a glare shining right in his eye as he looked toward the mouth. He made his way quietly up to the mouth. He saw a booted foot and dragged its owner out of the cornucopia.

Sawyer woke up with a start as he was being dragged by something. He quickly grabbed a knife and as he saw Wayne standing over him he was able to swipe the knife at Wayne's cheek. Wayne backed away a few inches and only got a superficial cut, but he had to let go of Sawyer's leg. Sawyer took this chance to get up and run away. He just needed enough distance to throw his knife.

Wayne was close behind and picked up a brick from the ground as he went. He tossed the brick at Sawyer's head. Sawyer went down and rolled onto his back, hazy. Wayne took the collar of his jacket to lift him up and brought him down hard on the ground. Sawyer tried to reach for his dropped knife but Wayne stopped him by smashing his head in with the brick. Wayne swung it again and again, even after the cannon sounded. Only when a hovercraft came did he stop and look up at the sky. Wayne Vire, the male tribute from District 5, was declared the Victor of the Seventy-Second Annual Hunger Games.


	12. Epilogue Part II

**A/N: This _does_ have to do with Elia and will be the last chapter. To anyone who read this, thank you so much. Might see you next time! XP**

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><p>Epilogue Part II<p>

I slowly grew aware of myself again. I wasn't hot or cold. I wasn't scared. There was no pain. There was only peace. Opening my eyes, I saw the clouds above me come into focus. I sat up slowly and looked around. I was surrounded by tall stalks of grain. I could feel a light breeze against my skin and the grain waved slightly in the wind. I looked down at myself and saw that I was wrapped in a soft, flowing gown of gold. I stood up.

"She's here," I heard someone say. I turned to face the voice and saw a familiar face. My brother Micah was smiling at me. He looked older. He wasn't the fifteen year old boy anymore. A woman about the same age was standing next to him holding the hand of a little boy. I gasped.

"Micah?" I asked tentatively. He just smiled.

"You must be Elia," the woman said. "I've heard so much about you."

Micah chuckled, "Elia, this is Sofi, my wife, and Theo, my son."

"Wife, son? But how?" I asked as I hugged him.

"We two souls met here, and Theo was a baby that came here. Somehow, no matter who you are or were, you get a happy ending here," Micah said. I started to cry. Behind Micah and his family I saw other people I knew. My grandmothers and grandfathers, an aunt, two uncles, and some little cousins.

"You're all here," I said, voice breaking, "I missed you all so much."

"We're not the only ones here for you," Micah said, "Someone else is waiting for you." He pointed to my right. I walked through the field until I reached the edge of a dense forest. I looked back at Micah for confirmation. He nodded me on and I took my first step into the woods. After walking for a while in the same direction the forest disappeared to reveal the lake from the arena. By the water stood the back of someone I knew.

"Been waiting long?" I asked teasingly. He turned around.

"Elia," he whispered.

"Rory," I said before we both burst into tears. It was like a scene from a movie. We ran to each other. Hugging, crying, laughing, and kissing. We sat down next to the lake, never taking our eyes off of each other.

"I've missed you," he said, "I'm so sorry we didn't have more time together." I smiled and caressed his cheek.

"We have now," I said and I kissed him.


End file.
